Writer, poet, and teacher Andrew Harvey sees Jalal-ud-Din Rumi (1207-1273) as "the greatest mystic poet of humanity." He composed 3,500 odes, 2,000 quatrains, and a spiritual epic titled Mathnawi. Today, Rumi is the most popular poet in the West. According to Harvey, this honor stems from his universality, his blend of art and mysticism, and his way of passion. The author quotes Teilhard de Chardin to bring home the relevance of Rumi's poetry to our times: "Humankind is being brought to a moment where it will have to decide between suicide and adoration."
On this six-hour presentation, Harvey enthusiastically reads, ponders, and explicates Rumi's poetry. He sees him as a doctor of souls capable of helping us cultivate wholeness. Harvey finds in his verse the rhythms of abandonment, sacrifice, adoration, and transformation. This way of passion honors the mystery of our communion with the Beloved. Is Rumi "an essential guide to the new mystical renaissance?" Yes, and Harvey, who has studied him for 25 years, is a charismatic interpreter of his magnificent dance of love.